ETOWAH, Tenn., April 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Acumen Energy Solutions, a leader in delivering comprehensive energy management strategies, today announced the completion of a major lighting retrofit for Johns Manville, further underscoring the Berkshire Hathaway company's commitment to environmental responsibility.

The project, which was conducted at the Johns Manville facility in Etowah, Tenn., will reduce the plant's indirect annual CO2 emissions by more than 6 million pounds and will cut its yearly energy consumption in lighting by approximately 70 percent. It also qualifies Johns Manville for a $343,410 rebate from the Tennessee Valley Authority for demonstrating energy savings.

The success of this project underscores the important role Acumen Energy Solutions has played in the larger Johns Manville initiative. To date, the manufacturer has invested nearly $8 million to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption across its North American plants.

Shawn Rash, President of Acumen Energy Solutions, said the retrofit is a reflection of the company's commitment to helping commercial, industrial and institutional customers streamline operations and manage energy-related costs.

"We're proud to work with Johns Manville once again in their energy efficiency and sustainability improvements," Rash explained. "Our goal is to help customers find solutions that bring the most value in terms of fiscal and social responsibility, and this project has certainly achieved that."

As part of the retrofit, an initial audit was conducted, taking into account plant operating hours; traffic conditions in production, storage and warehouse areas; and lighting density requirements. Based on that assessment, almost all of the high bay HID fixtures, which were predominately metal halide, sodium vapor or incandescent lights, were replaced with more efficient and less energy-intensive fixtures.